training

Laura Palker with Jeff Hannah

Rebuilding the US Trade Show Workforce with Laura Palker (Part 1)

Posted on by Jeff Hannah | In Best Practices, Covid-19, Leadership, North America, Podcast, Strategy, United States

Laura Palker of the Exhibitions & Events Workforce Development Federation (Part 1)

The Future of the Trade Show Industry & Workforce Development

The trade show and events industry has faced massive disruptions in recent years. From the devastating impact of the pandemic to the looming “Silver Resignation,” the industry must navigate an urgent need for workforce development, skilled labor, and better representation at the national level.

In this episode of The Global Exhibitor Podcast, Jeff Hannah sits down with Laura Palker, President of the Exhibitions & Events Workforce Development Federation, to discuss the critical challenges facing the trade show industry today. With decades of experience in the industry and a passion for workforce training and advocacy, Laura provides deep insights into how the industry is working to address the current talent crisis.

The Changing Workforce in Trade Shows

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade show industry was filled with seasoned professionals, with the average workforce age between 53 and 58 years old and 20 to 30 years of experience. These individuals—highly skilled artisans, project managers, and business leaders—were the backbone of the industry, shaping the way exhibitions were designed, built, and executed.

However, the pandemic created an industry-wide exodus, with millions of workers leaving for good. Those who remained or joined the industry in the past few years now make up 40% of the workforce, yet they have three years of experience or less. This knowledge gap has put an incredible strain on businesses trying to maintain the same level of quality and efficiency with a largely new and inexperienced workforce.

Adding to the challenge is the Silver Resignation, the upcoming retirement of many seasoned professionals. This shift threatens to wipe out even more institutional knowledge, making it critical to develop fast-track training programs, apprenticeship initiatives, and long-term strategies to ensure that newcomers are not left to figure things out on their own.

Bringing Trade Shows Into the National Workforce Ecosystem

One of the biggest challenges the industry faces is a lack of government and educational recognition. Unlike other industries such as automotive, medical, or construction, trade shows have struggled to gain proper classification within the U.S. labor system.

Laura Palker explains the importance of O*NET Codes (Occupational Information Network) and NAICS Codes (North American Industry Classification System) in defining and legitimizing the trade show industry. Without these classifications, trade shows are effectively invisible to government agencies, workforce programs, and schools that guide students toward career opportunities.

Historically, industry professionals filling out forms for business registration, workforce statistics, or education programs have struggled to find an appropriate category for their work. Often, they’re forced to select “Other” or an unrelated classification, further erasing trade shows from official workforce data.

That’s why industry leaders have been pushing for:

  • Recognition in O*NET & NAICS systems to define trade show-related jobs
  • Career awareness campaigns to introduce trade shows as a viable profession
  • Funding opportunities for training programs at middle schools, high schools, and technical colleges

The recent success in modernizing the National Career Cluster Framework to include hospitality and events—with specific reference to trade shows, conferences, and exhibitions—is a huge step forward. The next challenge is ensuring that trade show careers are properly categorized and represented across all workforce development programs.

Building a Skilled Workforce for the Future

To address the industry’s talent shortage, the Exhibitions & Events Workforce Development Federation has been leading initiatives to create structured training programs, apprenticeships, and mentorships. These programs aim to fast-track the development of skilled professionals, ensuring that those entering the field are equipped with the knowledge they need to thrive.

Efforts include:

Trade Show Basics Training – A foundational training program designed to introduce new professionals to the industry.
Apprenticeships & Pre-Apprenticeships – Structured hands-on training programs to develop technical skills and industry knowledge.
Gap Year Internships & Mentorships – Career pathways that allow young professionals to explore trade shows as a long-term career.

Laura also highlights how industry associations, unions, and businesses must work together rather than in competition. With so many different roles and skill sets required to execute a successful trade show, every segment of the industry—from exhibit builders to show organizers to logistics providers—plays a critical role in the ecosystem.

“We are not competing with each other; we are complementary. Every piece of the puzzle is essential to making this industry work.” — Laura Palker

The Call to Action: Uniting for the Future

As Laura and Jeff discuss, the trade show industry is at a turning point. There is a limited window of opportunity to secure industry recognition, funding, and training programs. If the industry does not take advantage of this moment, it risks being left behind as other sectors continue to gain government support and workforce funding.

For those in the industry, now is the time to:

✅ Support workforce development initiatives by getting involved with industry associations.
✅ Advocate for O*NET & NAICS code updates to properly classify trade show jobs.
✅ Encourage mentorship and training to ensure knowledge transfer to the next generation.

If you’re interested in learning more about workforce development in trade shows or want to get involved, visit www.ee-wdf.org for resources and training opportunities.

🔊 Subscribe & Share: If you found this episode insightful, please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

📅 Stay tuned for Part 2 of our interview with Laura Palker!

This episode was recorded at the amazing ET Global USA Headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurapalker/

Website: https://ee-wdf.org/

Website: http://www.tssolutioncenter.com

Email: laura.palker@ee-wdf.org

Han Leenhouts on stage with microphone - pointing

Straight Talk from Han Leenhouts (Part 2)

Posted on by Jeff Hannah | In Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Asia, Best Practices, Brazil, China, Communications, Culture, Dubai, Europe, Gender, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Language, Latin America, Marketing, Mexico, Middle East, Non-Verbal Communications, North America, Podcast, Relationships, Singapore, Strategy, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Verbal Communications

Han Leenhouts Unfiltered! (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Han Leenhouts author of Sales & Pepper, based in The Hague (Den Haag), The Netherlands.

This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we’ve had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah you can experience Han’s electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.

In this episode, Jeff asks Han to differentiate between the Dutch culture and mindset in comparison to other countries in Europe. Han talks about what Americans might not understand when working with the Dutch. They talk about the direct communications style, and the importance of being authentic and genuine.

Han emphasizes the importance of booth staff training and what the process generally looks like – involving both pre-show training as well as on-site coaching. He talks about setting goals for the show and how to measure where those goals are met.

Han elaborates on how asking the “right” questions is an important step in learning how to engage with people you have never met before. The right questions help to quickly qualify your potential leads and determine where to take the conversation. Han is a firm believer in being bold, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone – which is what it takes in order to be really successful in trade show marketing.

As a side note, Jeff and Han briefly discuss perspectives on the war in Ukraine, as well as how Dutch DJ’s compare to others in the world! You don’t want to miss that!

Han Leenhouts is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of Sales & Pepper, a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of Peppertalk 2.0, which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns Sales & Pepper, a training and coaching firm based in The Netherlands.

This interview was recorded live in Las Vegas at the luxurious Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, with host Jeff Hannah. Please also join us for Part 1 of this interview with Han Leenhouts.

Email: han@salesandpepper.com

Han on LinkedIn

Sales & Pepper

Han Leenhouts on stage with microphone - pointing

Straight Talk from Han Leenhouts (Part 1)

Posted on by Jeff Hannah | In Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Asia, Best Practices, Brazil, China, Communications, Culture, Dubai, Europe, Gender, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Language, Latin America, Marketing, Mexico, Middle East, Non-Verbal Communications, North America, Podcast, Relationships, Singapore, Strategy, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Verbal Communications

Han Leenhouts Unfiltered! (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a two-part interview with Han Leenhouts author of Sales & Pepper, based in The Hague (Den Haag), The Netherlands.

This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we’ve had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah you can experience Han’s electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.

Han is focused on outcomes! But, far too many get it wrong! As part of his consultative, training, and coaching initiatives, Han works globally with brands to help establish and reach goals for their trade show participation. With clearly defined goals in mind, you can then work to achieve those goals – and recognize when you have or haven’t. Having the goals is important, but is not everything. Making the most of show floor interactions can make or break any trade show participation. Staff training is the next, hugely important component. Much of the booth staff training can happen in the planning phases, but some of it must happen on the show floor, in the actual physical environment in order to fully utilize the exhibit in the way it was designed to be used.

Jeff asks Han about his views on staffing a booth with marketing team members vs. sales vs. technical staff. Han talks in detail about how to select the right people to fill the various roles required on the show floor. Han gives his recommendations on the ideal mix of profiles for the roles, and how to play to people’s strengths. He focuses on the importance of booth staff attitude and outlook on working on the show floor. It is critical for them to understand their purpose, as well as the best ways to approach people and start meaningful interactions.

Respect for cultural differences is important for working across cultures. But, when looking for ways to engage with others, Han urges people to tap into the most basic and common human characteristics – those things we share in common – rather than focusing on our differences. Shaping questions in just the right way to capture a visitor’s attention immediately is essential in the busy, distracting, and fast-paced show floor environment. Han is a master at engaging both individuals and audiences.

Han Leenhouts is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of Sales & Pepper, a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of Peppertalk 2.0, which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns Sales & Pepper, a training and coaching firm based in The Netherlands.

This interview was recorded live in Las Vegas at the luxurious Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, with host Jeff Hannah. Please join us for Part 2 of this interview with Han Leenhouts.

Email: han@salesandpepper.com

Han on LinkedIn

Sales & Pepper